Shanghai food blog | Sugared & Spiced

2011/03/192015/08/31

[Shanghai] Organ (2)

Organ

Add: 66 Ziyunxi Lu, near Loushanguan Lu 紫云西路66号, 近娄山关路
Tel: 5206 5937
Hours: 11:30am-10pm
Website: blog.goo.ne.jp/organ0417
Price: [lunch] 40~50 RMB [cakes] 25~35 RMB
Visited: Mar 2011

NOTE: Organ has closed and reopened here.

I was absolutely enchanted by this cozy, unpretentious Japanese cafe during my last visit and knew I’d be back very soon. The same warm colors, the same eclectic decorations, the same soothing music on the background…despite the disturbances caused by a few kids running around, Organ is still a charming little oasis.

Here are more of Organ’s handmade menus. Just lovely.

FYI, Organ is donating 5% of their earning to Japan’s earthquake relief effort.

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2011/03/132015/08/31

[Shanghai] Vegetarian Lifestyle 棗子樹

restaurant

Vegetarian Lifestyle 棗子樹

Add*: 848 Huangjincheng Dao, near Shuicheng Nan Lu 黄金城道848号, 近水城南路
Tel: 6275 1798
Hours: 11am-9pm
Website: www.jujubetree.com
Price: 70~100 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2011

Chinese food isn’t usually associated with “healthy” or “light”. The sauteed vegetables are often smothered in a mindless pouring of soy sauce, the pork chops are almost always lined with a thick layer of jiggling fat, and let’s not mention the generous sprinkling of MSG in every dish. To me, home seems to be the only place where “light” Chinese food is gauranteed. But Vegetarian Lifestyle (a.k.a. Jujube Tree), a vegetarian restaurant that has established a loyal following among locals and foreigners alike, proudly proclaims that their cuisine involves “no meat, no eggs, no smoke, no alcohol” and of course no MSG, but is just as tasty. Is that possible?

*Multiple locations, check SmartShanghai.

Upon seated, we were each served a small seasonal fruit bowl and a cup of sweet and sour apple vinegar. Contrary to the typical Chinese practice of eating fruits after a meal, Vegetarian Lifestyle recommends doing the reserve, as the nutrients are more easily absorbed when there’s nothing else in your system. Padding your stomach with some fruits also curbs the hunger and prevents overeating. One stone two birds.

We started with two appetizers, both popular items recommended by our waitress: 麻醬三絲 3 kinds of strips with sesame paste (22 RMB), a cold dish of green bean noodles, carrots, and cucumber slices mixed with sesame peanut dressing, and 香酥腐皮卷 tofu skin rolls (22 RMB), crispy tofu skin wrapping enoki mushrooms, wood ears, and the likes. A good start.

魚香茄子煲 eggplant with sweet and hot sauce (30 RMB) was nicely flavored and I was quite impressed with how “real” the mock meat tasted, but the dish was rather greasy and not particularly healthy-tasting.

東坡竹筍 braised bamboo shoots and vegetarian pork with soy bean sauce (38 RMB) was a nice imitation on pork – they even managed to recreate the fat using some type of jelly.

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2011/03/052015/09/24

[Shanghai] Organ

restaurant

Organ

NOTE: Organ has closed and reopened here.

“How do you find these places?” – asked my fellow luncher as we sat down at the table. It is true that Organ is not well-known outside of the Japanese community here in Shanghai. It’s not even listed on SmartShanghai or City Weekend, and has a mere 60 reviews on Dianping (versus 6000 reviews for popular Chinese restaurants). This discreet and unpretentious cafe, with its warm colors, eclectic decorations, and soothing music on the background, is instantly charming. From the handmade hamburger steak to the signature soy milk chiffon cake, everything at Organ taste fresh, healthy, and delicious. It’s one of those places where you can spend the whole afternoon basking in the sun next to the window, or curl away on the ultra-comfortable couch in an inner corner.

The 1st floor of Organ is an elongated space consisting of a bar and an open kitchen. Head up to the 2nd floor and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how spacious it is.

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2011/03/042015/09/29

[Shanghai] Maya

restaurant

Maya

Add: 2/F, Club House, Shanghai Grand Plaza, 568 Julu Lu 巨鹿路568号四方新城俱乐部2楼
Tel: 6289 6889
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 5pm-12am [Sat-Sun] 11am-12am
Website: www.cosmogroup.cn/maya
Price: [sinner] 200~250 RMB/person [brunch] 80~150 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2011

Huevos! Brunch at Maya is all about the eggs, “happy farm-grown free range eggs”, as highlighted on their menu. Having little knowledge of Mexican food, I am no judge for whether Maya is authentic or not, but it certainly isn’t your typical Mexican joint around the corner. Call it fusion, or traditional with a modern twist, Maya is an upscale restaurant serving refined mexi-Cali dishes. Breakfast burrito, papas con huevos, Mexican omelet, huevos con carne, baked frittata…all under 50 RMB.

We started off with a delicious bowl of homemade guacamole with chips (50 RMB). There’s no other way to begin a meal at Maya.

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2011/03/012015/10/09

[Shanghai] Mr. Choi Patisserie

shanghai

Mr. Choi Patisserie Add: Rm F05, 1/F 618 XuJiaHui Road / 徐家汇路618号日月光中心广场1楼F05室 Tel: 400 705 1158 Hours: 12-7pm Website: www.thechois.cc Price: [sets] 40~138RMB [cakes] ~35RMB [coffee/tea] 35~40RMB Visited: Mar 2011 Mr. Choi is a tiny patisserie hidden inside the ASE Center, a new retail/restaurant complex next to Tianzifang. While the name is Korean, the patisserie is actually led by a…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Mr. Choi Patisserie” →

2011/02/282015/08/31

[Shanghai] Tenya 天家

restaurant

Tenya 天家

Add*: 1/F, Mandarine City Clubhouse, 1129 Guyang Lu, near S. Shui Cheng Lu 古羊路1129号, 近水城路
Tel: 5422 3373
Website: www.tei.com.cn
Price: 200~300 RMB/person
Visited: Feb 2011

When describing a piece of supreme fatty tuna, melt-in-your-mouth becomes an understatement. Pale pink, almost white in color with a richly sweet flavor and a soft, buttery texture…it’s a luxurious sensation in the mouth. Tenya, which prides itself in sourcing the freshest Southern bluefin tuna straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market and employing a specialized defrosting process that preserves top quality, is naturally the go-to place in Shanghai for this luscious delicacy.

*Several locations available in Shanghai, check SmartShanghai for the locations.

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2011/02/202015/08/31

[Shanghai] Restaurant Week 2011

other

Ladies and gentlemen, Shanghai Restaurant Week is here again. Among the new entrants in this edition, I’m especially excited about Pelham’s at the Waldorf Astoria, Isola bar + grill, and Jing’An at the PuLi. Some repeat participants that I’ll be going to again include Sir Elly’s from The Peninsula, Palladio from Portman Ritz-Carlton, and perhaps T8…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Restaurant Week 2011” →

2011/02/202015/08/31

[Shanghai] ABC Cooking Studio

other

ABC Cooking Studio

Add: Joy City 4F, 166 Xizangbei Lu 西藏北路166号大悦城4楼
Tel: 3639 0556
Hours: 10am-10pm
Website: www.abc-cooking.co.jp/srv/cn
Price: First-time trial 50 RMB/class, regular price 100~200 RMB/class (membership-based)
Visited: Feb 2011

ABC Cooking Studio, a wildly popular women-only cooking school in Japan, opened its first Shanghai branch in Joy City. I originally came across the studio when I was window shopping in Tokyo Midtown at Roppongi, and remember well the brightly-lit, colorful interior filled with well-groomed, apron-clad Japanese ladies looking like busy bees. When I saw that the Shanghai branch is offering a trial class for only 50 RMB, I immediately called to schedule an appointment.

A friend and I arrived 10 minutes before our 3:00pm class, changed into indoor slippers, put on the aprons, and were ready to go.

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2011/02/152015/09/24

[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund

restaurant

Mr & Mrs Bund

Add: 6/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
Tel: 6323 9898
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm [dinner] Tue-Sat 6:30pm-4am, Sun-Mon 6:30-10:30pm
Website: www.mmbund.com
Price: [lunch] 200~250RMB [dinner] 400+RMB
Visited: Feb 2011 (visit 2)

The modern French restaurant by Paul Pairet was recommended to me by a number of food lovers, so I found myself outside its bright red and green door one day. I rang the doorbell (yes there’s a door bell), and was ushered in.

We were promptly served a bread basket and the amuse bouche, which consisted of toasted thins, a tuna mousse, and butter. The tuna mousse, whimsically served in a peeled-back tuna can, was ethereally airy and full of peppery tuna flavor – delightful.

Our first appetizer, foie gras light crumble (110 RMB), was a contrast of crunchy fruity topping of raisins and hazelnuts with velvety smooth duck foie gras mousse underneath. Served with a thick cut of toasted bread and slices of fresh green apple, the portion was generous enough to feed two people.

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2011/02/092015/09/28

[Shanghai] Happy Hour at Morton’s The Steakhouse

restaurant

Morton’s The Steakhouse Add: 4/F, IFC Pudong, 8 Shiji Da Dao / 世纪大道8号, 国金中心IFC商场4楼 Tel: 6075 8888 Hours: [Sun-Thu] 11.30am-10pm [Fri-Sat] 11.30am-11pm Website: www.mortons.com Price: [dinner] 500~1000RMB [lunch] 250~400 RMB [Happy Hour] 38 RMB/martini Visited: Feb 2011 What an upscale steakhouse entails: enormous slabs of premium beef, the ubiquitous shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque, the mandatory creamed spinach and…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Happy Hour at Morton’s The Steakhouse” →